Heretofore, there has been known a tape feeder as one example of a unit for supplying components to a surface mounter.
The tape feeder is designed to feed out a tape having components stored therein at constant intervals, to a component supply position in a front portion of the feeder, while unreeling the tape from a reel. The component supply tape serving as a carrier comprises a carrier tape having component storage portions, and a cover tape attached to the carrier tape in such a manner as to cover the component storage portions. The cover tape takes on a function of pressing the components to prevent drop-off thereof until the component supply tape reaches the component supply position, wherein it is peeled off from the carrier tape in a vicinity of the component supply position.
In this type of tape feeder, in order to stably supply the components, a tape guide is provided in a vicinity of the component supply position to restrain a lateral displacement of the tape. For example, in a tape feeder disclosed in the following Patent Document, a first cover member and a second cover member are provided to facilitate restraint in position of the component supply tape.
[Patent Document 1] JP 11-224996A
Further, in the above type of tape feeder, there is a need for performing a cover tape setting operation when the reel is replaced. More specifically, a cover tape has to be turned in the rearward direction of the unit in a vicinity of the component supply position, and set to a take-up reel or the like. However, cover members are located frontward and rearward of the component supply position. Thus, if the cover members remain fixed, there occurs a situation where it is difficult to turn the cover tape.
For this reason, in the tape feeder disclosed in the Patent Document 1, the two covers provided frontward and rearward of the component supply position are opened by swingingly moving them upwardly, and then a setting operation for a carrier tape is performed. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to manually open and close the covers.
The present invention has been accomplished under the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to allow for readily performing a cover tape setting operation.